WATCH: Why big wave days should be declared a holiday

Mark Furler is News Regional Media's group digital editor. He’s an award-winning journalist who has lived and worked on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast for more than 30 years. He’s passionate about fighting for a better go for locals. His awards include Editor of the Year, and involvement in three PANPA Newspaper of the Year wins for the Sunshine Coast Daily. He has also been involved in INMA and News awards wins for excellence in digital coverage.

WE really should give teenagers the day off when big surf comes to the Sunshine Coast.

In fact, it happens so rarely we should declare it a public holiday.

We got down to the beach at Mooloolaba around 4pm on Thursday.

One of the first sights was a very red faced (and red bodied for that matter) school student who had obviously been bodysurfing the whole day.

"How was school?," he asks his young mates who are arriving onto the beach, still in uniform.

Before long they are all scrambling to get in.

In the following couple of hours, a succession of surfers and bodysurfers hit the beach.

The scene was no doubt repeated across Sunshine Coast beaches, including at Noosa, where surfers and surf watchers reported some of the best waves in years.

Normally, we would be the first to join in their suicidal, sandy barrel rolls.

DROUGHT BREAKS: Big waves return to Noosa Heads.Tito Media

But this time, it was just fun watching others being crunched.

Whenever there is big surf on, I'm always amazed at the risks young people take.

Ninety-nine times out of 100 they probably get away with it.

Others get taken away with suspected spinal injuries in an ambulance.

Surfers and body boarders make the most of the waves at Mooloolaba.

Even as the lifeguard packed up for the day, more and more people entered the water, despite his declaration that the beach was closed.

Young mums took to the water with their kids - but wisely only in the whitewash zone - leaving the barrels out of the back for the more foolish to tackle.

On high tide, it looked pretty safe.

DROUGHT BREAKS: Big waves return to Noosa Heads.Tito Media

If a wave came crashing down on you, there's plenty of water to fall into - as long as you can hold your breath for a little while.

Out the very back, surf ski riders were taking on a different set of waves, along with boat crews from the Mooloolaba Surf Life Saving Club.

Out even further there were prawn trawlers bobbing up and down on the horizon.

The spectacular surf was no doubt intriguing to international guests, including a sister city contingent who happened to be visiting with Sunshine Coast councillor Jenny McKay and former mayor Don Culley.

Surfers and body boarders make the most of the waves at Mooloolaba.

They squealed with the delight of schoolchildren as they were hit by a wave while taking a photo on the beach.

No doubt across the Coast today, there are a few employers dealing with phone calls and text messages from sick tradies and staff unable to make it in.

Damn right. Surf's still up, but fading fast. Let's call it a holiday for all.